Rural water programme

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MoDWS), has nominated the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) as a National Key Resource Centre to undertake capacity building programmes, research, and awareness creation in context to clean water supply and sanitation.

Water has become a new pet subject for Indian industry. Not because it is concerned with the depleting water resources or its own contributions to growing pollution. Because it sees a new and lucrative business opportunity. With support from the World Bank, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and other associations are competing with each other to establish their role in the water business.

A Division Bench of the Madras High Court affirmed that the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) can demand water charges from all owners/ occupants of an apartment even though the apartment has only a common sump and no individual water connection has either been applied for by such owners/occupants or provided by the board.

The 6th World Water Forum is scheduled to take place in Marseille, France between 12th and 17th March, 2012. The focal theme for this Forum is “Time for Solutions”. It aims to deliver a “Marseille Framework for Action” by the end of the week.

The global water footprint is 7450Gm3/yr, which is in average 1240m3/cap/yr. The United States of America has an average water footprint of 2480m3/cap/yr whereas China has an average water footprint of 700m3/cap/yr. The factors that affect water footprint are:

1. Total volume of consumption, which is generally related to gross national income of a country. (eg. USA, Italy and Switzerland)

Mr. T Sampath Kumar, a chartered accountant by profession has developed an innovative product to clean up lakes. His idea in simple: hasten the growth of diatom algae, which in turn provides oxygen to bacteria that consume lake pollutant substances, thus cleaning up lakes. This process is very similar to what happens naturally -- blue-green algae provide oxygen to bacteria to decompose nutrients.

In June 2011, Swami Nigamananda Saraswati died after a four month fast in protest of sand mining on the banks of Ganga. His death is a warning. If reckless sand mining continues, the Ganga and the people whose lives and livelihoods are fueled by it will face serious consequences. (See Down To Earth article, A swami and sand mafia, http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/swami-and-sand-mafia)